During the days of mourning the chief mourner sits apart and does
no work. The others do their work but do not touch any one else,
as they are impure. They leave their hair unkempt, do not worship
the gods nor sleep on cots, and abjure betel, milk, butter, curds,
meat, the wearing of shoes, new clothes and other luxuries. In these
days the friends of the family come and comfort the mourners with
conversation on the shortness and uncertainty of human life and
kindred topics. During the period of mourning when the family go
to bathe they march one behind the other in Indian file. And on the
last day all the people of the village accompany them, the men first
and after they have returned the women, all marching one behind the
other. They also come back in this manner from the actual funeral,
and the idea is perhaps to prevent the dead man's spirit from following
them. He would probably feel impelled to adopt the same formation and
fall in behind the last of the line, and then some means is devised,
such as spreading thorns in the path, for leaving him behind.